The Indonesian government spends IDR 1.2 trillion on West Papua Cross-border Road to increase connectivity and open access to the isolated regions. However, this important road is also meant to strengthen its territorial borders with Papua New Guinea. T
his road is an important infrastructure because it helps strengthen its national defense and security. Moreover, such a Cross border road is a means to help improve the economy within the border area.
Under President Jokowi, the infrastructures in West Papua have been accelerated to achieve equitable development, including cross-border road development.
The government has also built infrastructures such as Trans Papua Road, PYCH Building, airports, Papua Bangkit Stadium, border crossing posts, and more.
Facts on Papua Cross-Border Road
The projects in building West Papuan cross-border start from 2015 – 2022 with enormous funds of IDR 1.2 trillion. This government planned to finish the West Papua border road in 2024 to optimally use it to strengthen its border and accelerate the region’s economy.
However, they face many difficulties in building one for many reasons. Thus, they must plan and perform the project well to achieve the best outcome.
Here are some of the difficulties of the Ministry of Works and Housing (PUPR) and its entire team in building the road:
- Security conflicts due to the armed criminal groups
- Natural conditions because the road building has to pass through forests or steep mountains.
- The weather due to the dense forests sometimes brings heavy rains and more
- Difficult road access, so there is limited manpower and logistics
- Difficult terrain so it complicates the construction and the mobilization of their heavy equipment
The Director General of PT. Bina Marga, Hedy Rahardian stated that there are three segments of the West Papuan cross-border road as follows:
1. 1st Segment
This first segment connects Jayapura – Arso – Waris – Yeti with a 127.45 Km long road. This segment is completely done so that society can make the best of it for their benefit.
2. 2nd Segment
The second segment helps connect areas such as Yeti – Ubrub – Oksibil with a 302.36 Km long road. It is not fully finished now because the physical progress development only reaches nearly 50%. However, the government does its best to make the projects finish according to its plan for the best benefits.
3. 3rd Segment
The 3rd segment links Oksibil – Tanah Merah – Muting – Merauke with a 668.41 Km long rod development. The progress is amazing because they have done over 87% of the projects.
Here are the benefits of this particular cross-border road:
- Strengthen the defense and security of the area and its surrounding
- Provides easy access to remote and isolated areas so it will open the door to the society living in the border and its area to the outside world and technology
- Help distribute the stable needs due to the good infrastructure. Thus, the local communities can afford them due to their lower price. Thus, it can minimize the community’s inequality
National Cross-Border Post in West Papua
Aside from building the cross-border road, the government also built three National Cross-Border Posts in West Papua to establish economic growth within the area. They equip these posts with facilities such as ATMs, integrated terminals, powerhouses, markets, and TNI posts.
Here are the three cross-border posts (Pos Lintas Batas Negara/PLBN) in West Papua:
- PLBN Yetetkun Cross-Border
- PLBN Terpadu Skouw in Jayaoura
- PLBN Terpadu Dota in Merauka
Conclusions
West Papua is now different to one from decades ago due to the ongoing development under the leadership of President Jokowi. There are many infrastructures to increase the quality of its human resource and equitable development. The infrastructure built, among others, is the Youtefa Bridge.
Many schools, universities, cross-border posts, and West Papua cross-border road. Hopefully, this province will enjoy the same facilities, economic growth, and more like the other provinces in Indonesia.
